Insulated-wire grip.



FQ NI. HEINZEN.

INSULATED WIRE GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE 26,1916.

L%I Patented Ian. I5, 1918.

RANK IVI. HEINZEN, 0F MADISON, MINNESOTA.

INSULATED-WIRE GRIP.

Specicaten of Le ttersPatent.

Patented dan. 15, iltlll.

Application tiled .Tune 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,867.

To all whom t may concern:

.Beit known that I, FRANKM. HEINZEN, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Madison, in the county `of Lac qui Parle and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Insulated-Ure Grip, .of which the following is the specification. i

My invention relates to improvements in gripping devices, especially adapted for use in stretching or tightening telephone wires, telegraph wires, and the like, and has for one of its objects the provision of such a device that will not tear, strip or otherwise damage the insulation on wires. A further object of the device is to so construct the same that it will automatically release a wire, when the pull or tension on the device is released by the operator.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the single view of the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, is a side elevation of the same.

The numerals 1 and 10 indicate a pair of gripping jaws set edgewise in the same plane and the former of which has a forward extension with a longitudinal slot 17. A pair of links 5 and 12 connect the gripping jaws 1 and 10 for parallel opening and closing movements. It will be noted that the links 5 and 12 are located on the same side of the gripping jaws 1 and 10, thereby permitting a wire to be inserted laterally between said jaws from the other side thereof. A multiplicity of longitudinally spaced bores 16 are formed in the lever extension of the link 5.

One end of a pair of laterally spaced long links 4 is adjustably connected to the lever extension of the link 5 by a thumbwnut equipped bolt 6 passed through one of the bores 16. A pulling connection, as shown, in the form of a clevis 3, is connected to the other end of the pair of links 4 by a pivot bolt 2 mounted in the slot 17 for sliding movement and guides the forward end of the pair of links 4 for sliding movement, with respect to the jaw 1. it will be noted that the clevis 3 embraces the end of the jaw l, in which the slot 17 is formed, and can swing from one longitudinal edge thereof to the other.

The inner longitudinal edges of the grip ping jaws 1 and 10 ao'rd complemental gripping surfaces and formed thereinare complemental offset shoulder 14 and 15, respectively. Thegripping edge and shoul d ers ofthe jaw 10 are beveled at '18, for the purpose of holding a wire against lateral separation from the jaws land 10'on the opposite side thereof from the links 5 and 12. By reference to the drawings, it will be noted that the gripping surfaces of the jaws 1 and 10 and their shoulders 14 and 15 afford a ZiZ-Zag channel in which a wire may be placed and held.

A pulling device, such, for instance, as block and tackle, will, in actual usage of the device, be secured to the clevis 3. Olivin ously, a pull on the clevis 3 will impart reverse endwise movement to the gripping jaws 1 and 10 through the link connections 4, 5 and 12, and thereby cause the same to move parallel toward each other. During this movement of the different jaws l and 10, a wire placed therebetween will be bent over the coniplemental shoulders 14 and 15 to hold the wire against slippage and the beveled surface 18 will crowd the wire against the links 5 and 12, and thereby securely hold the same against lateral separation from said jaws. It will be noted that the corners of the shoulders 14 and 15 are rounded to prevent their cutting into the insulation.

In stretching a wire with the above device, the gripping jaw l, lever extension or the link 5, links 4 and clevis 3 will naturally hang down from the under side thereof, under the action of gravity. To release the gripping device from a wire, it is only ne cessary to release the tension on the tackle or other pulling means and then shake the pulling means, and thereby cause the jaw 1, under the action of the links 5 and 12 and weights suspended therefrom, to open up, or, if the parts work very freely, this shaking of the pulling connection will be unnecessary. lVith the gripping jaws l and 10 separated, the device may be easily shaken or pulled from the wire.

As is well known, when stretching a wire between two poles, the gripping device is often at a point beyond the reach of an operator supported on one of the poles, and it is often necessary for the operator to have to work himself out onto the wires, by well known means, to release the gripping device. By the use of my above described gripping device, this is unnecessary, as the MJU lllll saine will automatically release, and` thereby permit the operator to shake or pull the Same from the Wire. Also, when the tension on the gripping device is released, the tension of the bent portions of the Wire over the shoulders 14 and 15 Will tend to straighten and 'thereby further assist in opening the jaws.

What I claim is:-

l. A gripping device comprising a pair of j aws, means connecting the jaws for parallel opening and closing movement including a lever extension, a pulling connec- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C. s

` tion 'niovably-mounted on one of) Atlie jaws,

and a linkbetween the lever extension and pulling connection.

2. A gripping device comprising a pair of j aws,'havng complemental gripping surfaces with. otl'set complemental, shoulders, means connecting the jaws for parallel open ing and closing movement including a lever extension, a pulling connection movably mounted on one of the jaws, and a link conf nection between the lever extension andpulling connection. A FRANK M. HEINZEN.

Commissioner o! Patents, 

